The Emergence of Augmented Reality in Core Business Applications

25th May 2018

Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that layers computer-generated enhancements atop an existing reality to make it more meaningful through the ability to interact with it.

Microsoft has been exploring this field with the introduction of HoloLens, an AR enabled Headset.

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) have also adopted this technology to enhance their operations and to provide best quality service to their clients.

Another example of AR came up at a recently held eXtreme CRM competition where one of the participating teams developed a use case in which a maintenance worker goes to repair an MRI machine. The worker uses a mobile device, points its camera at the MRI machine, and then the app pulls all relevant information about the machine directly from CRM — everything from when it was purchased to when it was last serviced. Once he finishes repairing the machine, he inputs this new information into the app, which is then fed back into the CRM. This is a great example of an augmented reality app that integrates with CRM to create efficiencies in the real world.

Unified CRM solutions could soon integrate with AR/VR technologies to offer better business efficiencies

Customer Relationship Management has become more and more complex over the years and with every new version, customers expect to see thinner, unified versions that take the pain out of managing different software applications in siloes.

Already, CRM has a strong relationship with Social Media – all the big players in the industry such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 include Social Media, to shift the focus from hard selling to engagement as a relationship management strategy. Now with the augmented reality market valued at $61.3 billion by 2023, CRM applications will have no choice but to deeply embed AR/VR solutions into their applications.

Microsoft Dynamics 365, offers a unified CRM that uses artificial intelligence and has an incorporated ERP software as well.

A company called AUGMENT has already developed a solution to integrate AR with Salesforce.

Microsoft’s CRM and ERP suite and its integration with HoloLens is what Microsoft would be focussing on.

You may wonder as to how AR will benefit companies in their operations? Take order picking, for example. Most pickers will use barcodes and a handheld device to receive and submit data, but with a HoloLens ERP app, a picker could receive details of the order right in their field of view, without diverting their attention away from their surroundings and keeping their hands free. The HoloLens could even give them directions to the location of the inventory and allow them to relay information to the ERP system with a flick of their finger; no cumbersome scanners required. In an Amazon Prime world where delivery speed is crucial, use of augmented reality could make a big dent in picking and processing times.

How Augmented Reality is being used for Process Efficiency in Real Estate

Another example of active AR is Real Estate – the industry is moving out of traditional business approaches and is ready for a complete shake-up in delivering enhanced, innovative customer experiences. Use of AR/VR technology is already being used to deliver virtual tours of potential homes to improve the buying process and make the property sales cycle more efficient.

Augmented Reality is also being employed to help potential buyers visualize their built environment or to envision what an empty space could look like with the interiors done up. These evolved planning and visualization solutions accelerate the buying decision and create positive financial impact on the industry in general. Companies such as Rooomy offers VR staging services to real estate agents.

VR allows you to create stunning 3D real estate tours and get properties staged so that your clients can check them out.

Augmented Reality as a Marketing Asset

AR has already shed its image as a sci-fi gimmick and clearly established its position as a disruptive technology bringing sea change across industries and applications. AR is also fast becoming a valuable asset in the marketing toolbox. From brands in the hospitality industry as well as oil and gas, companies are turning to AR to not only engage their clients in a new way, but also make existing marketing channels more personalized and dynamic. Integration of AR with CRM applications gives marketers a much more added leverage to understand their potential customers and to provide the best services to them.

To know more about integrating leading edge technologies with the Microsoft stack, get in touch with us for industry specific solutions such as Property 365 built on top of the Microsoft Dynamics platform. Email us at marketing@levtechconsulting.com